If you or someone you love has an eating disorder, you know how complicated and all-consuming it can be. Despite the stereotypes, eating disorders don’t just affect young white women. Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that affect people of all ages, genders, races, and backgrounds. According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), approximately 20 million women and 10 million men in the United States will experience an eating disorder at some point in their lives.
Types of eating disorders
Anorexia nervosa:
A condition characterized by a persistent restriction of food intake, leading to significantly low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of one's body shape or weight.
Bulimia nervosa:
A condition characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting, laxative use, or excessive exercise.
Binge eating disorder:
A condition characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating without compensatory behaviors, leading to feelings of distress, guilt, or shame.
Other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED):
Category that includes conditions that do not meet the full criteria for any specific eating disorder, but still cause significant distress or impairment.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID):
A condition characterized by a persistent avoidance or restriction of food intake, leading to significant weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, and/or interference with psychosocial functioning.
What problems do eating disorders cause?
Health Issues for People with Eating Disorders
One of the primary problems that people with eating disorders face is physical health issues. Here is a list of some of the medical issues that people with eating disorders face. When we do eating disorder treatment in Houston, our therapists like to work with other medical providers like physicians, dietitians, and dentists because eating disorders have a strong medical component. Eating disorders are sadly also the mental disorder with the highest mortality rate. That is why it is so important to work with a Houston eating disorder therapist if you have an eating disorder.
Dehydration
Malnutrition
Electrolyte imbalances
Digestive problems, such as constipation or diarrhea
Dental problems, such as tooth decay or gum disease
Hormonal imbalances, such as disrupted menstrual cycles or decreased testosterone levels in men
Cardiac complications, such as irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, or heart failure
Kidney problems, such as kidney stones or kidney failure
Osteoporosis, or decreased bone density
A weak immune system, leads to increased susceptibility to infections and illnesses
Increased risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Not sure if you have an eating disorder? Take this eating disorder quiz. Wondering if you should get treatment for an eating disorder?
Psychological issues in people with eating disorders
Eating disorders can cause significant psychological distress for people who struggle with them. These disorders involve complex patterns of disordered eating, which can lead to feelings of guilt, shame, and anxiety. Individuals with eating disorders may experience a distorted body image, meaning that they perceive their bodies as being larger or smaller than they are. This is called body dysmorphia. The dysmorphia can lead to a preoccupation with weight and shape, as well as a fear of gaining weight. These negative thoughts and feelings can significantly impact one’s quality of life, leading to social isolation, depression, and a decreased ability to engage in daily activities.
Body Dysmorphia
Body dysmorphia, also known as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), is a mental health condition characterized by a preoccupation with perceived flaws or defects in one's appearance. Individuals with body dysmorphia may spend hours a day obsessing over their appearance, checking and rechecking their appearance in mirrors or other reflective surfaces. They may become distressed or anxious about their perceived flaws and may engage in behaviors such as excessive grooming, cosmetic procedures, or seeking reassurance from others about their appearance.
Body dysmorphia can affect any part of the body, but is most commonly focused on the skin, hair, nose, or other facial features. It is a complex and often debilitating condition, but with the help of mental health professionals, individuals with body dysmorphia can learn to manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
For some, the eating disorder may serve as a way to cope with these underlying psychological issues or to regain a sense of control in their lives.
You may not have body dysmorphia, but you do struggle with your body image. This post discusses ways to improve your body image.
Social issues in people with eating disorders
Eating disorders can also impact social and interpersonal relationships. People with eating disorders may have difficulty maintaining relationships with family, friends, or romantic partners because of their preoccupation with food and weight. They may also struggle with social situations involving food, such as dining out with others or attending family gatherings. People with eating disorders often avoid getting together with people if it’s an activity that involves eating. They often feel uncomfortable with people seeing them eat. This can severely limit their social interaction and cause people to feel very isolated. Eating disorders can also impact one's ability to work or attend school, leading to decreased productivity and increased absenteeism. Sadly, eating disorders demand a very high social cost.
Discrimination towards people with eating disorders
As if social isolation, psychological distress, and medical issues were not enough, people with eating disorders may face stigma and discrimination as well. There is often a misconception that eating disorders only affect young, white, thin women. However, as mentioned earlier, eating disorders can affect people of any gender, race, and age. This stigma can prevent individuals from seeking help and may lead to feelings of shame or embarrassment. There is a lot of shame involved with the disorder which can lead to hiding behaviors and distancing from loved ones.
Another social issue faced by people with eating disorders is stigma and misunderstanding from others. Eating disorders are often misunderstood or dismissed as a matter of personal choice or willpower, rather than recognized as complex mental health conditions that require professional treatment. This stigma can lead to feelings of shame and embarrassment and may prevent individuals from seeking help.
In addition, individuals with eating disorders may face discrimination in healthcare settings, such as being denied insurance coverage for treatment or receiving inadequate medical care due to a lack of understanding about the complexity of their condition. The clients I treat who are in bigger bodies often complain the medical professionals often attribute most of their problems to weight without considering other potential problems. And they often are told to lose weight as a solution to every problem. Other medical issues are often dismissed or overlooked because medical professionals sometimes assume that they know the problem is weight without doing thorough testing.
Eating disorder treatment in Houston, TX
Counseling for eating disorders can be an effective treatment approach for individuals with eating disorders. Eating disorder treatment involves working with a mental health professional to explore and address the underlying issues contributing to the eating disorder. Counselors can help individuals with eating disorders develop coping skills and strategies to manage their thoughts and behaviors related to food and body image. They can also provide support and guidance as individuals work toward recovery and healing.
Counseling may involve individual therapy, group therapy, or a combination of both, and may incorporate various evidence-based techniques, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. With the help of counseling, individuals with eating disorders can learn to manage their symptoms, improve their mental and physical health, and feel more in control.
If someone you care about is struggling with an eating disorder, check out this blog post for tips about how to support someone through their eating disorder.
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In addition to Eating Disorder and Body Image therapy, we have other mental health services that we offer at our Houston, TX counseling office. Our services are available for adults, children, and teens. For individuals we offer Anxiety Treatment, Couples and Marriage therapy, School and College Counseling, and Infertility Counseling. As well as Trauma Therapy, PTSD Treatment, EMDR Therapy, and LGBTQ+ Counseling. Our caring therapists also offer Family Therapy, Parenting Counseling, Career Counseling, and LPC Supervision. All of these services are also available through Online Counseling throughout Texas.
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